Some data transmission involves the conversion of optical signals to electrical signals and/or electrical signals to optical signals. In some applications, the conversion occurs at a circuit board. For example, an optical cable carrying one or more optical signals may interface with an optoelectronic module such as a board-mounted optical assembly (BOA) such as an optical engine, or a pluggable optoelectronic module such as an XFP, a QSFP, an SFP+, or other pluggable optoelectronic module. At the BOA, the optical signals may be transduced from optical signals to electrical signals using optical receivers. The electrical signals may then be communicated along etched copper traces integrated into the circuit board to a destination. Likewise, electrical signals may be communicated along etched copper traces to the BOA. At the BOA, the electrical signals may be transduced to optical signals by optical transmitters. The optical signals may then be further communicated along the same or a different optical cable that interfaces with the optoelectronic module.
In some BOAs, a lens assembly may be configured to receive an optical interface such as a cable connector. The optical interface generally supports one or more optical fibers that communicate the optical data to and from the BOA. One difficulty with many such cable connectors, however, is that they lack the ability to be easily attached and removed in order to facilitate modular level testing of the BOA.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.